


Table for two

by floatingaway4



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26562355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingaway4/pseuds/floatingaway4
Summary: Henry is being weird. Alex wonders if it's a British thing.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 60
Kudos: 429





	Table for two

Henry falls diagonally across their bed. It causes Alex, who is sitting with his laptop balanced on his crossed legs, to bounce a little. 

“Hello,” Henry says, propping himself up on his elbows, feet hanging off the bottom corner of the mattress. 

“Hi,” Alex replies absently, without really looking at him. He reaches over to muss Henry’s hair. “Something I can help you with, Highness?” 

“Stop working and come with me,” Henry says eagerly. 

“Where?” Alex says, briefly glancing over at his boyfriend. Even the quick glance tugs at his heart and makes him groan. “Babe, I have to finish this paper.” He leans over for a quick kiss. "I guess if I flunk out of law school I could just be a kept man, but I'd prefer to be gainfully employed." 

The soft look on Henry's face makes Alex have second thoughts about just being a boytoy for the rest of his life. Henry runs one finger up Alex’s thigh until it hits the edge of his boxers, then follows his finger with a trail of soft kisses. 

“What are you doing?” Alex asks, laughing. “What the hell has gotten into you?” 

Henry gives him a suggestive look and Alex laughs again. “Seriously?” 

“Later, actually,” Henry says matter of factly. “First, I want to take you out to lunch.” 

Alex looks at the discouraging amount of white space on the document in front of him. “I have to..." He looks over at Henry, and his priorities click firmly into place. "Lunch? You want to go to lunch?” 

Henry nods. 

“Where?” 

“That new Indonesian place we passed the other day.” 

Alex shrugs. “Okay, but I can’t stay too long.” 

Henry beams. “That’s fine, love.” He leans in and drops another kiss on Alex’s bare leg. 

Three days later, Henry decides they need to go to brunch. Which is great, Alex _loves_ brunch. It's a socially acceptable excuse to drink before noon. But Henry is weird and oddly formal about it. Instead of shooting him a text or asking while they’re both at home, Henry calls him the day before and sets up a date and time. And he’s practically giddy when they hop in the car outside their house. Alex wonders if maybe this is some British custom he’s just noticing, like the way Henry holds silverware or thinks Jaffa cakes are an acceptable snack. 

The next Friday, Alex gets a text at work inviting him to a movie. Henry sends him a link to the tickets he bought for a little independent theater that’s showing a British movie Henry has been wanting to see. They’ve been there before, and if they wear hoodies and sneak in after the lights go down, no one notices. 

The next Wednesday afternoon, they’re in their home office, each working at their own desk. Alex’s email tab blinks, letting him know he got a new message. He doesn’t quite know what to do when he sees the email is from Henry. 

Henry, who is sitting three feet away from him. 

Alex turns his head but Henry is busy typing. He clicks on the email. 

_My dearest Alex,_

_I would be honored if you would accompany me to dinner on Saturday, September 18th, at 7:00 p.m. at L’Atelier._

_As the dress code is formal, would you please wear your black Armani?_

_Yours always, Henry_

Alex reads the email twice, before spinning his chair slowly around. “Babe?” 

Henry looks over his shoulder. “Hmm?” 

“You just sent me an email, right?”

“Yes.” 

“You know I’m sitting right here?” 

He sees Henry shake a little, laughing quietly. “I’m very aware. I’m honestly stunned that I get any work done at all with this arrangement.” 

Alex can’t stop himself from grinning. “You are so cute.” He stands up to walk over and lean back against Henry’s desk. “What’s going on?” 

Henry looks up at him, with the worst fake innocent look on his face. “Whatever do you mean?” 

Alex sighs. “You emailed me a dinner invitation. And that brunch thing the other day….we live together, why don’t you just ask me?” 

“I did ask you,” Henry insists, and those fucking baby blues make Alex forget what he’s talking about. 

“You….uurrggh,” Alex groans, leaning down to kiss Henry hard. “No, shit, wait, I want to know what’s going on. Stop distracting me.” 

Henry runs the back of his hand down Alex’s stomach. “How am I distracting you?” 

“Just by existing,” Alex says with a grin. “Now why do you keep formally asking me to go places with you? I’m starting to expect an engraved invitation for cereal and coffee in the morning.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” Henry tells him and turns back to his laptop. 

Alex reaches down to lift Henry’s hand from his keyboard. “Nope.” He holds Henry’s hand in his. “Why?” 

Henry’s face is a little pink, which is distracting Alex even more. “Can’t I just do it because I enjoy it?” 

Alex stares at him for a moment, then shrugs. “Sure, I guess.” He lifts Henry’s hand to his lips and kisses it before he drops it and walks back to his desk. “It’s just weird, it feels like we’re--”

He stops midway across the room and pivots around. “Like we’re dating.” 

Henry finally spins his chair around and gives Alex a smug smile. “Aren’t we?” 

“I mean, I feel like we skipped past that part, already. Nora called us U-Haul lesbians, but…” Alex cocks his head and slowly walks back across the room. “That’s why you’re doing this, isn’t it?” 

Henry bites his lip and looks a little embarrassed. “Maybe.” 

“You’re taking me on dates!” Alex blurts out, delighted. He plops down on Henry’s lap. 

“Is that all right?” Henry asks. His hand is stroking Alex’s waist and whatever Alex was working on isn’t getting finished today. 

“Is it all right that my beautiful, amazing boyfriend wants to take me on dates? I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it and get back to you.” Alex starts to get up but Henry tightens his hands on Alex’s waist. Alex laughs and gives Henry a long, slow kiss, then rests his forehead against Henry’s. 

“You like the black Armani, huh?” 

“I like all your suits, but yes, that one is a particular favorite.” 

************************************************

Saturday night, Alex can’t choose between two ties so he sends pictures of each of them to June. 

**_the light blue one_ **

**_Where ya goin?_ **

**_Dinner with Henry_ **

**_He’s taking me on a date_ **

**_I hate you both_ **

**_But that’s fucking adorable_ **

**_He’s never done that right? I think he told me_ **

**_that when we were on our fake date_ **

**_Done what?_ ** **_Taken me to dinner?_ **

**_I mean, we’ve eaten in restaurants, obvs_ **

  
  


**_No, he's never been on dates_ **

**_I mean, not with a guy_ **

**_There was me_ **

**_And those fake celebrity girl dates_ **

**_but he could never really take somebody out, right?_ **

**_Not somebody he cared about_ **

  
  


Alex drops his phone so fast it makes a _whuf_ noise as it buries itself in their fluffy down comforter. 

That’s why Henry’s doing this, because he’s never been able to. 

He’s certainly making up for it. 

Alex is sad and incredibly in love, all at the same time. Henry has a talent for making him feel that way. 

He digs his phone out of the billowy comforter and tells June he has to go. He walks downstairs, still tying the blue tie. “I’m ready to go, babe.” But the house feels weirdly empty. “Henry?” 

He thinks Henry must be walking David, but then the dog whimpers from his spot on the sofa. “Where’s your dad, little buddy?” Alex tightens the knot and is checking his reflection in the hall mirror when the doorbell rings. He glances at the video monitor on the wall and shakes his head. How the fuck did he get so lucky? 

Alex opens the door to find Henry, standing on their stoop and holding a big bouquet of roses. He looks over the roses at Alex like he could undress him on the spot. “Good evening, Alex. You look incredible.” 

“So do you, sweetheart,” Alex is grinning like a fool. Henry is wearing a suit too, and his tie is an explosion of light and dark purple flowers. He grabs Henry by the lapel and pulls him in for a kiss, while Henry holds the roses out of the way. Alex is so glad June clued him in, because otherwise he would’ve been a smartass about this. Now, he wants nothing more than for Henry to have this. 

_Take anything you want and know you deserve to have it_

“These are for you,” Henry tells him, handing Alex the bouquet. 

“Thank you, baby, they’re beautiful.” Alex leans toward Henry. “Do we own a vase?” 

Henry nods. “The one Bea gave us for a housewarming gift. It’s in the pantry, top shelf.” 

Alex twists his mouth to one side, thinking. “Um, could you…”

Henry smiles at him. He walks past Alex, crosses the kitchen, and opens the pantry door. David jumps up from the sofa, hoping he’s going to get some of the treats they keep in there. Alex tosses him a couple while Henry reaches for the vase and hands it to Alex. “Anything else up high that you want me to get for you, dear?” He makes a show of touching the boxes of food they have stored up there. 

“Fuck right off, Prince Dickhead,” Alex says but they’re both smiling like idiots. He unwraps the flowers and puts them in the vase with some water. 

Henry leans back against the counter. “Ready to go? It’s a nice night, I thought we might walk. I told them,” he adds, tilting his head toward the security staff outside. 

They both lean down to take a turn kissing David on the head. “Your dads are going on a date. We’ll be home late, you keep an eye on things here, little dude,” Alex tells him. 

Henry opens their front door and reaches out, so Alex takes his date’s hand and they step into the cool night air. 

The next morning Alex wakes up alone. He’s confused and a little disappointed, until he sees the creamy card leaning against the picture frame on his nightstand. In Henry’s fanciest handwriting, it says, 

_Please join me for coffee and cereal in our kitchen._

_I love you_

_〜 H_

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
